ID Verification Alternatives Design Challenge

The TUV tekit and Beatenetworks announce a special event. As many are aware, there have been issues in the press recently regarding issues with minors access to adult content in Second Life. While Linden Labs has tried to respond to this criticism via ideas such as ID verification, the community itself has largely been opposed to such an approach. As an alternative, we believe that individual responsibility and parental tools are a better answer. So we are forming a contest to build and provide a robust open source tool which will allow individuals to control avatar access to content without having to resort to sending private information to an unknown third party.

Here's how the contest works. We are starting with a simple tool, which is being provided open source. Individuals and companies can add functionality to the script/design. The TUV tekit will judge all final entries, and select the best for deployment across the grid. To participate, visit the SL TUV tekit office (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Achen/112/236/23/), grab a copy of the script and the contest rules, and submit your final entry back to the TUV by September 15, 2007.

The tekit/TUV Saarland is the premier certification group for ISO 27000 standards as well as premier in childprotection and safety in the internet, is based in Bonn Germany, and the TUV has been doing product quality certification for nearly 150 years. Beatenetworks is an immersive web integration company based in Germany. The best entries will be exposed on the tekit and Beatenetworks SL locations, and the winners will have access to real world public relations and media coverage courtesy of the tekit and Beatenetworks.

Contact Alice Klinger, Allison Selene, or TUEVdealer Merlin for further information or just stop by in the tekit office.